cheap eats - thrifty side dishes edition

Penny-Pinching Potatoes ~

Potatoes Lyonnaise

What a beautiful name for a dish that is so easy, so inexpensive and so incredibly delicious. How can you go wrong with potatoes, onions, and garlic in butter? Plus, it's a dish that's not only pleasing to tastebuds but to your wallet as well.

"Lyonnaise" typically describes a dish prepared with onions, specifically fried onions, but also refers to the cuisine of Lyon, France. Lyon is also well-known for its high-quality pork products and of course, for Beaujolais Nouveau (among other wines).

But for now, the Lonesome Road Studio Kitchen is swooning over Lyonnaise Potatoes, a perfect side dish with roasted meats, something warm and cozy during chilly nights. Try leftovers combined in a frittata - just incredible!

The Ingredients:

• 8 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius).
  Place russet potatoes in a pot of water; bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes.
  Drain, quickly rinse with cold water and set aside.
  Heat olive oil in an ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add onion slices and saute until slightly browned. (It may seem like a lot of onions, but they will cook down and become absolutely delicious!) Add garlic and saute about 10 minutes more, until onions caramelize. Transfer onions and garlic to a bowl.

Can't you just smell those onions cooking?

Melt butter in bottom of pan, scraping up browned bits. Add potatoes and onions and stir gently to combine wih butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned on top; you can also raise the oven temperature for a bit to brown the potatoes more, or broil very briefly.

Serves 6.

cheap eats - grilling edition

Stretch Your Grilling Dollars with London Broil

Got filet tastes on a hot dog budget? Satisfy your "steak tooth" with London broil for a change. London broil is considerably less expensive than traditional steaks and can be stretched farther. It has a deliciously big beefy flavor and when cooked properly, can be just as tender and satisfying as any old sirloin.

The term "London broil" is actually a term for the method of preparation, not the cut of meat itself. Typically London broil used to be flank steak but nowadays it could be a cut of from the round or sirloin as well. The meat is first marinated for tenderizing and flavor, then grilled to perfection and sliced across the grain to serve.

( Heh. Yikes, didn't notice that at first.)
Begin by pounding the beef if you wish, but this will be wonderful even if you don't.
Prepare a marinade with:

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 6 tablespoons of red wine
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard (like Colman's)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• lots and LOTS of black pepper

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and add the meat. Refrigerate at least overnight, 24 hours is ideal.

Before you light the grill, take the meat out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature; this can take about an hour. I think this is one of the single most important things you can do to ensure proper cooking on the grill. That, and if you aren't doing this already, switch to real hardwood lump charcoal like Cowboy Charcoal Co. It really makes all the difference in the world; it produces a much more even and reliable heat with no yucky chemicals, petroleum residues or weird composite materials mixed in.
The meat will take 20 minutes to grill, about 10 minutes per side (assuming it's at least one inch thick). No constant flipping, flopping, poking or pressing down please, just let it cook (well, okay, you can give it a quarter-turn to make some nice-looking grill marks, but don't get carried away). When done, the meat will be perfectly medium-rare. Transfer to a platter and let it rest for another 10 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain.
The classic accompaniment to the meat and its lovely juices is mashed potatoes, but it makes a fine fajita as well. Since it doesn't re-heat very well, I suggest serving cold leftovers as part of a big salad with lots of fresh greens, beefsteak tomatoes (of course!) and maybe a red onion slice or two. Throw in some mushrooms while you're at it.
See, eating on the cheap doesn't have to be boring, unhealthy or unsatisfying!